DEAR Jersey, I can say without fear of contradiction that you have been the love of my working life.

Our relationship started some three years ago and it’s not been without its trials and tribulations. Due to personal circumstances, we were never able to live together, although for the first glorious six months we were only apart at weekends.

What followed was a period of forced separation, although thankfully the bond was strong enough for us to continue our relationship remotely.

I still remember the utter joy of landing once again at your shores after months of isolation when the pandemic restrictions eased and, although travelling was not without barriers and risk, the benefits far outweighed the hoops I was required to jump through.

Your natural beauty is unparalleled in such a small package and offers a dazzling array of opportunity dictated by mood, weather and unique tidal range.

I’ve explored every inch of your shoreline, from the fierce west coast to the surreal puffins at sandy Plémont, from the pebbles at Bouley Bay to the delightful descent into La Coupe, from the ease of water entry from St Catherine’s Breakwater to the unpronounceable Ouaisné, from the secret steps at the side of Gorey Castle to the multiple steps leading down to Portelet. At will, I can summon up the enormous sense of wellbeing that these multiple coastal sojourns have provided me with.

And whereas I’ll gravitate toward natural beauty every time, your manufactured charms are also a sight to behold, many of which are safeguarded by Jersey Heritage and the National Trust for Jersey. One of my favourite inland haunts is the Central Market, which beckons me every day with its sensory overload of sights, sounds and smells. How anyone can support the Golden Arches over this cornucopia of taste sensations is bewildering.

But before I blow too much smoke up your Devil’s Hole, my dearest Jersey, you are by no means perfect.

The gap between the haves and have-nots is simply too wide. Islanders are incredibly generous when it comes to charitable donations, but there remains a sector of Island society that requires far greater support. We learn of up to 1,000 children a day who, according to Hannah Skelton, are deprived of a hot meal ‘due to lack of funds or inadequate cooking facilities’.

This situation in such a wealthy environment is inexcusable and offers just one example of social deprivation crying out for a strategy that delivers a long-term solution.

Housing is a further challenge. The rental market, notably for those without entitled status, is shameful; the absence of any formal landlord regulation is unfathomable.

The paucity of affordable housing is a serious concern. The thought that home ownership is but a pipe dream for many people who have spent their entire life in the Island is depressing. Whereas this phenomenon is familiar to many on the mainland, special dispensation should be granted to those who may be forced to leave their Island home as a result of spiralling house prices and cost-of-living challenges.

And my final bit of feedback, Jersey, is that you really need to take better care of yourself. There are a host of environmental issues that need addressing, from the insane levels of traffic to the flagrant disregard for recycling – and possibly the most important being the protection of your precious coastline. The Islander apathy and arrogance surrounding environmental issues remains perplexing. Preventing further harm to Jersey’s natural beauty is far more favourable than leaving future generations to find a cure.

A particular bugbear of mine surrounds your attitude to food and an apparent disregard for homegrown produce. I accept this is nuanced and there is no silver bullet, but I would seek to make a couple of observations on the subject. The demise of Woodside Farms is a tragedy. The sheer volume of HelloFresh packages delivered to Island homes defies belief. The fact that global conglomerate Unilever have cornered the ice cream market in Grève de Lecq and St Catherine, when we have our very own Jersey Dairy ice cream, should be subject to an Island inquiry.

The food quandary is as a result of scale and the challenges that local producers face in competing with international suppliers.

I’m a capitalist at heart, but accept that market intervention is required on occasions to save people from themselves.

The subsidy for agriculture and fisheries is one of the lowest in Europe and this needs to be recognised and addressed, as, once lost, these sectors will be nigh on impossible to resurrect. Cost should not be an issue – the cash is there, the £118 million splurged on the hospital project to date being a prime example of the opportunity lost with this ill-fated expenditure.

But I digress, and hope you will excuse my minor grumbles. Now let’s get back and recognise what really makes Jersey great is you.

It did not take me long to latch on to the fact that pretty much everyone in the Island knows everyone in the Island. The sense of community is immense and this was never more evident than my first Pride of Jersey awards ceremony in 2021.

It was a stellar year that followed a pandemic-induced break and resulted in an unforgettable evening celebrating individuals and organisations whose selfless actions, generosity and bravery have enriched Jersey, not to mention the souls of those fortunate enough to attend.

There were many great memories from that night: the much-missed and never-to-be-forgotten Gary Burgess won the Community Champion of the Year accolade, while pianist Hamish Brodie, joint winner of Child of the Year, gave a spine-tingling solo performance. However, my abiding memory of the evening was the reaction of the team from Jersey Mencap, who won Environmentalists of the Year.

The unadulterated and utter joy in the faces of the winners will be etched in my memory forever.

Jersey, you may not see this in yourself but you have a community like no other I have ever experienced. Never forget this and take pride in and celebrate the individuality of you.

So look after yourself, my dear friend, and do not change too much – just recognise and address the challenges that are evident to all, while at the same time remaining true to yourself. Embrace change where it us needed and remain stubbornly unique where it is not.

‘‘ It did not take me long to latch on to the fact that pretty much everyone in the Island knows everyone in the Island.

The sense of community is immense and this was never more evident than my first Pride of Jersey awards ceremony in 2021. It was a stellar year that followed a pandemicinduced break and resulted in an unforgettable evening celebrating individuals and organisations whose selfless actions, generosity and bravery have enriched Jersey